A process of preparing an olefin oxide, preferably propylene oxide, and an
alcohol, such as .alpha.-ethylphenyl alcohol, the process involving
contacting an olefin, such as propylene, and an organic hydroperoxide,
such as ethylbenzene hydroperoxide, in the presence of an epoxidation
catalyst, preferably, a homogeneous molybdenum catalyst, in a single
reactor system or in a multi-reactor system containing a plurality of
sequentially interconnected reactors. Each reactor in the single or
multi-reactor system is preferably divided into a plurality of reaction
zones designed to facilitate plug flow behavior. The olefin is fed to a
first reaction zone in the single reactor system or to a first reactor in
the multi-reactor system. The organic hydroperoxide feed is split into a
plurality of split organic hydroperoxide feedstreams, and the split
feedstreams are distributed throughout the reaction zones, or the
reactors, or both.